All We Can Save

July 15, 2020
A welcome anthology, in prose and verse, of women's writings on climate change. At the outset, marine biologist Johnson, founder of the Urban Ocean Lab, and teacher Wilkinson, vice president of Project Drawdown, write that the political and social constructs that oppress women are one and the same with those that are wreaking havoc on the global environment: "Supremacy, violence, extraction, egotism, greed, ruthless competition--these hallmarks of patriarchy fuel the climate crisis just as surely as they do misogyny, racism, and inequality." There's no such zero-sum game-playing here. The editors observe that women are well equipped to transcend ego and competition in order to create a politics of "heart-centered, not just head-centered, leadership." Many of the writings that follow celebrate Indigenous ways of knowing: Mexico-born Xiye Bastida, for example, invokes her Otomi-Toltec ancestors to advocate a "shift in culture and mindset." She argues vigorously for intersectional activism and eschews any form of exclusive politics that further marginalizes the disenfranchised. Penobscot writer Sherri Mitchell emphasizes the importance of recognizing that "we are all inextricably linked" while Joy Harjo, the first Native poet laureate, raises a number of provocative questions for would-be political leaders--e.g., "Do you have authority by the original keepers of the lands, those who obey natural law and are in the service of the lands on which you stand?" If not, the leader has no business in the job. Some writers--Naomi Klein, say--are more grounded in scientific and political approaches, and poet Emily Johnston delivers a needed caution: We can work diligently and still not solve the monumental problems we face, but that is no excuse not to do it: "There is too much we need to heal, and we have to change the path that we're on. We have beautiful work to do before we die." Other contributors include Ada Lim�n, Kendra Pierre-Louis, Varkini Prakash, and Mary Oliver. A well-curated collection with many ideas for ways large and small to save the planet.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2020

Published in the midst of a resurgence of young climate activists with strong voices such as Jamie Margolin and Greta Thunberg, who are fighting bold battles against systems they assert condone and perpetuate climate change, this work feels somewhat nostalgic for 1960s-style activism. Editors Johnson, a marine biologist, and author and teacher Wilkinson have highlighted statistics, included powerful quotations, and underlined the names of women who have played significant roles in the fight against climate change, making this work accessible to readers without much prior knowledge of women's climate-related work and a welcome text in college courses on environmentalism. Their introduction sets up key terminology and asks readers to contemplate ways in which environmentalism has been impacted by toxic masculinity while setting the stage for an examination that is intersectional in its attention to issues of race, class, and gender. While some contributions are stronger than others, the book overall provides space for women to explore the seriousness of climate change in essays, poems, and artwork, with a sense of urgency and beauty. VERDICT By grouping a range of women's voices, the editors have crafted a hopeful narrative, with many calls to action.--Emily Bowles, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.